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liberalisation of laws on homosexual offences would therefore
be inappropriate to a Chinese culture with very different
traditions.
There is however' evidence that homosexual conduct
has always existed in Chinese society and that a high degree
of tolerance towards it existed at least in certain periods of
Chinese history (10). of the estimated 145,000 to 290,000
homosexual men in Hong Kong the majority must be Chinese
(11). It seems unlikely that this is the result of foreign
influences but rather that it reflects a consistent current in
Chinese society.
Public Health and AIDS
19.
AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is
recognised as a global health problem and is probably the most
serious epidemic of the past fifty years (12). By the end of
1987 more than 75,000 cases had been reported in 130 countries
and there may be many more unrecognised cases in Africa. It
is estimated that there will be between 500,000 and three
million AIDS cases by 1991, with up to 100 million people
infected with the causative virus (13). Of those infected, up
Although the mean
to 50% may go on to develop AIDS (14).
incubation period for AIDS is four years, the longest yet
į
recorded is 14 years (15).
CONFIDENTIAL
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